Koh Tao

The island of Koh Tao is a tiny island (only about 21km in perimeter) in the Gulf of Thailand slightly higher than the much larger and more famous island of Kho Samuri. Koh means island whilst Tao means turtle and originally the island was a breeding ground for many turtles. These have moved on since the tourists have arrived. Koh Tao tourism has been built around scuba diving, most people on the island are here to learn to dive or become dive masters. I was slightly surprised therefore to discover the major drinking strip that covers the main beach area. This place is alot less hippyish and alot more commercial than I was expecting. After Bangkok food and drink prices came as quite a shock too. Drinks are the same as UK prices with food prices double to triple those I had become used to. Saying all that, there is no getting away from the fact that Koh Tao is beautiful. I spent a couple of days relaxing, walking up and down the beach, watching the divers go out. I then took the plunge and went out myself. It has been a few years since I last dived so I took a refresher course first. I had a test to complete, then the basic skills such as clearing water from your mask, and trying to control your buoyancy were covered. The mask skill is very important for me as my masks always let in water. This, I have just discovered, is because I have an exceptionally small head size. My dive instructor even gave me the brand and make of mask I should buy, because she has a similar problem. The mask however was approx £50, so I decided against it. I had a couple of dives that afternoon and it felt really good to be under the ocean again.